Jadon Sancho, the 24-year-old English winger, who is on a loan spell at Chelsea, should be approaching the prime of his career now.
However, after a much-publicised fall-out with Erik ten Hag, the former manager of Manchester United, Sancho is yet to either cement his place in Chelsea’s starting XI or even to realize his talent fully.
This is keeping in mind that he had a less-than-impressive loan stint at Borussia Dortmund, at least statistically speaking.
Dortmund made it to the UEFA Champions League final with Sancho in the team, but three goals and two assists in 21 matches do not do the English winger much justice.
Jadon Sancho’s Form at Chelsea
Sancho has two goals and four assists for Chelsea this season, which are not the exact kind of returns the Royal Blues should be getting from him.
After his impressive showing in his initial appearances for Chelsea, Sancho’s performance graph has gone downward.
The Blues already have a plethora of options on the flank, which means that Sancho has had to contend with a number of other players for a place in the playing XI.
He primarily plays as the left-winger, but Pedro Neto has already made his mark as one for Chelsea.
Both Neto and Noni Madueke have better numbers than Sancho at the moment for Chelsea. Even Christopher Nkunku, who has often played as the No. 9, can play on the flanks, making the competition even stiffer for the England international.
For a player, who has more than 260 senior appearances for various clubs, Sancho does not seem to have the impact that is expected from a top player.
He has been mostly coming up with sporadic good spells, which is not enough to sustain oneself at an elite club.
Luxury of Playing Alongside Cole Palmer
Sancho has Cole Palmer playing as a No. 10 alongside him, which is a luxury few players have.
Palmer has had a slightly underwhelming season by his lofty standards but has still managed 16 goals and eight assists this season in 33 matches for the Blues.
With Palmer playing beside him, there should not dearth of opportunities for Sancho to shine, provided he can combine well with the former.
Manchester United are going through a tough time now and there is no surety that they would take Sancho back after his loan spell is over.
Therefore, if Sancho manages to perform well for the West Londoners, they might sign him with a permanent deal.
However, it must be noted that Chelsea have loaned the winger with an obligation to buy. Numerous outlets have confirmed the clause will be triggered if Chelsea finish 14th or higher in the Premier League this season.
Enzo Maresca’s team have climbed up to fourth position at Manchester City’s expense after their 4-0 win in the Premier League over Southampton and will want to ensure UEFA Champions League football at any cost.
Sancho should be playing a key role in Chelsea’s pursuit of a top-four finish. It remains to be seen whether the young English winger can rise up to the challenge during the remainder of the season.
As of now, there is little to suggest that his stint with Chelsea is going to be a memorable one.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
Recording Date: 26.02.2025